Pressure-seated closure



F. c. BARBER PRESSURE-SEATED CLOSURE Feb. 20, 1940.

Filed May 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

FIG. I-

INVENTOR CREST C. BARBER TORNEY Feb. 20, 1940. F. c. BARBER 2,191,066

PRESSURE-SEATED CLOSURE Filed May 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG/4- INVENTOR FOREST C. BARBER BY M TORNEY Patented Feb. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics Thisinvention relates, to a quick-acting, pressure-seated closure for open-mouthed vessels, and more particularly to closuresfor use in connection with various smelting operations where sin-molten metals are to be retained in a vessel and hot and corrosive gases are not to be retained.

his an object of this invention to provide a simple, efiicient, and durable pressure-seated closure.

101., It is a further object of this invention to provide. a closure which can be readily and quickly opened and closed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closure for a vessel which is substantially on writs. side, the said closure being in a vertical position and adaptedto retaincertain of the contents of the vessel While at the same time allowing other contents of such a vessel to pass.

A further object of this invention is to provide m 2. closure for a container which has within it materialsat a high temperature.

Still another object of thisinvention is to provide a closure which comprises or which has in-,

corporated with it a material suitable for therg ,,,mal,insulation and also suitable as a gasketing material.

Further objects and advantages of my invention twill become apparent as the disclosure and discussion proceed.

m In the smelting of zinc ore to produce the metal in an uncombined form, zinc ore and coke in a finely divided or pulverized form are intimately mixed and heated together. A chemical reaction takes place involving these materials and zinc is released from chemical combination with other elements. The zinc can be obtained as a product of this reaction in a substantially,

pure metallic form except at it may be more or less contaminated by other metals which may be m present ascomponents of the ore.

In commercial practice this chemical reaction, or smelting, is often carried out in a relatively small retort, which is frequently a, cylinder'about one foot in, diameter and about six feet long and a closed at one end. This cylinder has walls about an inch thick which are composed of baked clay, or other ceramic material, which is quite resistant to high temperatures and the destructive action of hot corrosive materials, such as molten ,or vaporized metals. This retort is placed in a furnace with its long axis substantially horizontal, the closed end being within the furnace and theopen end being at the edge of thefurmace and substantially flush with the outer wall v 5 thereof fIhis outer, open end is preferably slightly lower than-the inner, closed end so that any liquid material such as molten metal which may at any time be within the retort will tend to flow out of'the retort and yet any solid material such as unreacted ore or coke, or cinders and the 5 like, which remain after reaction, will not tend to slide outof the retort by the force of gravity.

As a result of the high temperatures which exist within this'retort, the zinc or other metal produced bythe smelting of the ore therein will be at or near its boiling point and therefore will have'an appreciable vapor pressure andsubstantial amo-untswillexist in the vapor state. In orderrto be collected the metal vapor must be 7 condensed, much as the vapor of any other matelb rial which it is desired to recoveigand forthis purpose a condenser isused in cooperation with the aforementioned retort. This condenser is made :of a temperature-resistant ceramic material WhlCh'iS similar to or the same as the material from which the retort is made. This condenser has the form of a hollow, truncated cone abouttwo and one-half feet long, with walls which are also about an inch thick. The base or larger endof this condenser has essentially the same dimensions as the open end of the aforementionedretort, against which it is fitted more or less snugly. The smaller end of this conical condenser is about two and one-half or three inches. in diameter. The condenser rests upon brackets or the like, with its axis also substantially. horizontal, but with enough of an angle ierefrorn so that the bottom portion of the smaller end is slightly lower than the bottom portion of the larger end. Free metal in a substantially molten state collec'ts in this condenser, 1 running into it from the retort and condensing from: the gases and vapors which leave the retort and'pass into and through the interior of the condenser toward the smallerend thereof. 4

It has heretofore been the practice or the art partially to closeor dam the small end of this condenser with a handful, more or less, of dampened granular material such as cinders or the like, leaving a small hole or unclosed portion near the top part of the condenserthrough which pass f gaseous reaction products of the smelting operation, somewhat cooled in the condenserand freed of substantially all of the metal vapors. This. handful of material must of hecessity be put in place byhand, and whenever it is desired to draw off the molten metal which 1 i has. collected in the condenser, this dam must be removed completely. In doing thiathe dam materialand molten metal are raked or scraped g .5

into a ladle, the dam material floating on top of the metal and being removed from time to time as collection of metal from .large numbers of individual retorts proceeds.

I have now invented a device which is easily and quickly attached to the end of such a condenser, which will hold back the molten metal while allowing undesired vapors and gases to escape, which may be easily and repeatedly opened and closed without undue effort, which is substantially immune to the corrosive and destructive action of high temperatures and molten metals, and which possesses other advantages over the prior art.

Various features of my invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and whichshow diagrammatically two modifications of my invention.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front plan view of one form of my invention showing the cover in an open position. I

Fig. 2 is a side plan view of the same modification of my invention. 1 I

Fig. 3 shows another modification of my invention and also shows the cover in an open position.

Fig. 4 shows a side plan view of the modification of Fig. 3 .and shows the cover in a closed position.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, I is the smaller end of a condenser such as hereinbefore described and H is the open mouth or end thereof. Encircling the end of this condenser and adjacent to said end is a band 12, the ends of which are secured by a clamp It. This clamp l3 can be adjusted by a screw 14 and aunt I5 cooperating therewith, said screw. passing through a hole i5 in a lug or ear I! attached to one end of the band 52, so that when once adjusted the closure assembly may be readily removed from and securely attached, or re-attached, to the end of a condenser by suitable and simple manipulation of the clamp 13. Attached to the outer edgeof the band [2 are lugs l8 which preferably extend only over a part of the thickness of the wall of the condenser Iii. A cover 20 is attached to band'iZ by a hinge or other pivotal means 2 I The outer edge of this cover 20 should have substantially the same size and shape as the outer edge of the end of the condenser l0. Two lugs 22 and 22 are securely attached to or form a part of band if and are located on either side of and adjacent to the hinge 2|. Two other similar lugs 23 and 23' are attached to the cover I 20, one on each side of said cover and preferably so located that they are an appreciable distance below the lugs 22 and 22' when the cover is closed, a position not shown in either Fig. 1 or Fig. 2, but

.one readily understood from the drawings. A

tension spring Z l joins lugs 22 and 23 and a similar tension spring 2d joins lugs 22 and 23. A layer of thermal insulating material 25 covers most of the inner surface of the cover 20 and is securely attached thereto by means not shown.

This layer of insulating material 25 should have essentially the same shape as the opening of mouth it of the condenser Hi and should have an appreciably larger area than the said mouth. A lug- 2'! may be attached to the cover 20 substantially opposite the hinge 2|, with theend thereof projecting from said cover and pointing away from the center of the cover.

project beyond the periphery of the cover 2|]. A vent hole 28 passes through the cover 28 and the insulation 25. This vent hole is located between the center of said cover and the hinge 2!, so that when the coveris in a closed position this vent will be in the upper portion of the cover, preferably with one edge of the venthole coinciding with the upper, inner edge of the end of the condenser. Preferably a strip of the thermal insulating material 25 is attached to the cover 20 between the vent hole and the hinge 25 so that said hinge is protected from fumes which pass from the condenser I ll through this vent hole and which would tend to pass between the cover and the end of the condenser if such strip were not present. v

As used at present, the condenser ll! is in the shape of a truncated circular cone and as such has sloping sides as illustrated. The band 12 has accordingly been illustrated in a manner such as to conform with these sloping sides, the edge 29 of the band being a little shorter than the edge 29'. It will of course be obvious that the condenser ll] can be provided with a shoulder or neck at this end, a modification not illustrated, and that the band [2 can be made in any convenient shape soas to conform with and securely fit such a neck or shoulder. The nut iii and the screw M can be adjusted so that when the clamp I3 is closed, the band l2 fits securely around the end of the condenser it and attaches the closure assembly rigidly to said condenser. The lugs l8 which have been illustrated will not always be necessary, especially if a shoulder such as that just mentioned is used, although under certain rate adjustment of the band I? when it is being fitted to the end of the condenserl The outer edge of the insulation 25 has been illustrated as being sufficiently restricted so as not to touch the lugs l8 when the cover is in a closed position. However, if such lugs are used, the insulation 25 may project sufiiciently to cover the ends of said lugs provided notches or indentations are made in said insulation so that the lugs will not prohibit the surface of the insulation from making contact with the end of the wall of the condenser.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, another modification of my invention is illustrated. In this modification, in place of the band l2 of Figs. 1 and 2, there is incorporated in the condenser it when it is made an attachment means. which will now be described.

A plate 3!! lieswithin the Wall of the condenser with one end of the plate a short distance from the end of the condenser. This plate has a hinge arm 3! projecting forwardly from one side of it near the forward end and a similar hinge arm 3| projecting from the otherside of it and at the same end. These hinge arms 3! and BI are substantially in a parallel relationship and are spaced apart from each other and together form a fulrivets 35. These hinge arms are substantially parallel to each other and are spaced apart from each other and arranged in co-acting relation to the hinge arms 3| and 3!. Hinge arms 3! and 3! are pivoted to hinge arms 32 and 32' by hinge pins 33 and 33'. A pin 22 forms a tie connecting the two hinge arms 3! and SI together and similarly a pin 23" forms a tie connecting the hinge arms 32, and 32. 'A tension spring 24"has one 2,191,066 end attached to p 2" and the other end to 515* in contact with the. end o f thewall of the condenser i" jas'is shown in Fig. 4. As the cover 20 is openedfthespring? is stretched until the axisof the pin 23], lies on a straight line passing 0 through the axes of the hinge pins 33 and 33 and the axis ofthe pin 22" As the cover 20 is further opened, ,the tension spring 24' contracts,

tending" to; force the cover further open. The

opening, movement of the cover is stopped by a lugattached to each hinge arm 32 and 321such asijthe lugs ft'fl and 34 illustrated. Said lugs 34 and 3 4 extendinwardly so as to contact the hinge; arms'f3l and 3flfiasthe cover is opened and thus, arrest further motion of thecover, In this posi- 3 m fill-t $iO ring 24" acts tohold the cover open. While the plate 30 is shown as a curved plate, it may of course be more or less flat as desired. t v A baffle 36 may also be located between the vent 5 hole 28 and the edge of the cover 20, with one edge substantially against the cover and positioned to project forwardlyand upwardly when the cover is iclo'sed. baflleserves to direct the fumes and flames which'mayl issue through the vent hole I 28 awayn the hingearrangementand especially away,fromthe tension spring 24'}. This baille36 may beattached ,to the cover 20 by the same rivets"35 which attach the hinge arms 32 andf32, orfit fmay beattached to and form a bridge between the hinge arms 32 and 32'. t

Athorightubhishot shown, it will be readily understood'that a similar baflie may be placed betweenfthe vent hole 28 and the hinge or pivotal means 2 l,in the modification shown inFigs a1and2.

e Other details of the cover shown in Figs. 3 "andI Lare essentially the same as hereinbefore described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.; While thiemodificationof the hinge or pivotal means 5 hasbeen illustrated only in connection with at-. tachr'nent: means 30 imbedded in condenser l0 when, said condenser is., formed, nevertheless it will 'be obv ou .to those skilledin the art that such a pivotal means can be used. to cooperate between, a band I2 and the cover. illustrated in Fig'sfi and .2, in which case the lugs 22, 22., 23, and 23 and the two tension springs Hand 24 and the hinge 2| would not be. necessary. When the cover. is.closed,.the thermal insulati ing material 25 shouldcontactthe end of the condenser. at all points and especially at the bottom half thereof. The nature of the molten material which is contained within the condenser is such that it has a relatively high surface tension and does not wet either-the condenser or any ordinary thermal insulating material. For this reason it will not penetrate into small holes or imperfections and will not tend to leak out between the endof the condenser and the insulating'material under ordinary conditions. The head on this molten material is not very great so that the force of anordinary tension spring is sumcient to overcome the force of this head and to keep the cover closed.

The vent 28 needsto be of considerable size as illustrated so that vapors produced by the smelting operation will readily pass out of the condenser and in case these vapors still contain vapors of metal which would tend to condense densed material will not obstruct the hole. to too great an extent. provide for the insulatingmaterial 25 to protect the edges of the vent hole 28. 3 In this case the corresponding hole in the metal cover20 will be somewhat larger than the actual size of the vent hole 28, and a ridge or lip of insulatingmaterial 25, surrounding the hole passingthrough the insulating material, will projectthrough the hole in the metal and serve to cover and protect the edges thereof. Such a modification is not shown in the drawings, but will be obvious to those skilled inthe art. p

The shape of the cover of my closure has been shown as being circular, which conforms with the cross section of the condenser as now used.

. Howevenit will be obvious that such a cover may beef any shape to conform best with the cross mineral thermal insulating materials or certain fireclays and the like. As will be obvious to those skilled inthe art, the thermal insulating material 25 may be attached to the cover 28 in any manner such as having the heads: of rivets, not shown, im-

bedded in the insulating material, said rivets passing through corresponding holes in the cover 20 3 and being secured on the outside of said cover.

If such thermal insulating material is of sufficient mechanical strength, it may also form the main part of the cover with the various hinges, lugs, etc.,, attached directly to it.

All those attachments which are made at the top, away from the molten metal, may be secured by means of rivets which pass through the said insulating material. I have found that one desirable method of attaching insulating material to a cover is to have a cover concave with respect to the condenser when closed, with lugs projecting from the said cover inside of said concavity, and thenfilling said concavity with a plastic thermalsetting ceramic material such as fire clay and subsequently heating said plastic material to dry and consolidate it, whereby it becomes a hard,

coherent mass firmly attached to said cover. If such thermal insulating means is used, it can be readilyreplaced when necessary by breaking it up by a mechanical means and again filling the concavity with fresh plastic thermal-setting ceramic material in an unbaked plastic condition.

Thevarious metal parts of the closure herein disclosed shouldbe of materials which do not readily oxidize or corrode when heated to high temperatures in the presence of air or of corrosive gases such as sulfur dioxide. Although ordinary iron or steel may be used, special steel alloys are known, such as the so-called 18-8 chromiumnickel steels, which are quite resistant to corrosive action. The spring or springs used should especially be made of t a steel which is relatively resistant to corrosion and which will retain its temper after considerable exposure to elevated tain modifications of my invention, which I have It may often be desirable to and solidify on the edges of the hole, such con found to be preferable, I do not desire to restrict myself entirely to such modifications and it will be understood that certain obvious modifications and changes of details herein shown and described may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim is: I a

1. A closure for an open-mouthed vessel, which comprises a cover comprising substantially solid thermal insulating material, means for attaching said closure to said vessel, means pivotally connecting said cover with said attaching means, at least one tension spring adapted to hold said cover against said vessel when closed and to hold said cover open when open, and a vent hole in said cover substantially on a line connecting the center of said cover and said means pivotally connecting said cover with said attaching means and between said center and said means, said cover being substantially in a vertical plane when closed.

2. A closure for a vessel with an open mouth,

- said mouth as defined by its edges being substantially in a vertical plane, which comprises an adjustable band adapted to encircle and firmly grip the outside of the mouth of a vessel, a cover for the mouth of said vessel, a hinge'connecting said band and the upper portion of said cover and adapted to allow said cover to pass through an arc substantially greater than 90 between its closed and open positions, a tension spring means cooperating between said cover and said band normally holding said cover against the mouth of said vessel and adapted also to hold said cover in an open position and a vent hole passing through said cover and located between the center of said cover and said hinge.

3. A pressure-seated closure for a vessel with tical plane, which comprises a cover,'thermal insulating material covering substantially the entire inner surface of said cover, a fulcrum supported from the wall of said vessel, means joining said cover and said fulcrum, a tension spring cooperating between said fulcrum and said cover operating to hold said cover against the mouth of said vessel and to hold said cover open when open, and a vent hole directly through said cover and said insulation and positioned between the center of said cover and the edge adjacent to said cover.

i. A pressure-seated closure for the open mouth of a condenser used in the smelting of zinc ore, which comprises a cover for said mouth, an adjustable band adapted to encircle and firmly grip the end of said condenser adjacent to said mouth, pivotal means connecting said bandand said cover, two lugs attached to said band, one i an open mouth, positioned substantially in a verface of said cover next to said mouth and a vent hole in said cover and thermal insulation between the center of said cover and pivotal means.

5. A pressure-seated closure for a vessel with an open mouth positioned in a substantially vertical plane, which consists of an adjustable band adapted to encircle and firmly grip the outside of the mouthof a vessel, a cover for the mouth of said vessel, thermal insulating material covering substantially the entire inner surface of said cover, a hinge connecting said band'and said cover at substantially the highest portion thereof and cooperating therewith, two lugs attached'to said band, one on either side of said hinge, two lugs attached to said cover, one on either side of said hinge, two tension springs, each joining a lug on said band with the corresponding lug on said cover and acting to pull said lugs together and a vent hole passing through said cover and thermal insulating material and located directly below said hinge when said cover is in a closed position.

6. A pressure-seated closure for the mouth of a vessel, said vessel being subjected to being partially filled with a molten metal which is to be retained and with gases and vapors which are to be released, said mouth being substantially in a vertical plane and so positioned that substantially all of said molten metal and said gases and vapors tend. to pass therethrough, which comprises a cover for said mouth, thermal insulata band adapted to encircle and firmly grip the outside of said mouth, a fulcrum supported from said band to be positioned near the top of said mouth, means joining said cover and said fulcrum and pivoting on said fulcrum, a tension spring joining said cover and said band normally holding said cover against said mouth and adapted to hold said cover open when not closed, an unobstructed vent hole passing directly through said cover and insulating material and positioned between the center of said cover and said fulcrum, and an upwardly projecting baiile attached to said cover between said vent hole and said fulcrum. v

l. A closure for a vessel with an open mouth, saidrnouth as defined by its edges being sub-,

stantially in a' vertical plane, which comprises attachment means adapted to be firmly. secured to the wall of said vessel outside of said mouth, a cover for the mouth of said vessel,a fulcrum supported from said attachment means and positioned near the top of said mouth, means joining said cover andsaid fulcrum and pivoting on said fulcrum, a tension spring means joining said cover and said attachment means normally holding said cover against said mouth and adapted also to hold said cover in an open position,

and a vent hole passing through said cover and located between the center and top of said cover.

FOREST (3. BARBER. 

